"This is your night, my Amani!" The dark skies are still full of your laughter and joy, even though they get quieter as your friends go inside one by one." 

Do you love observing the night? It's something about the night that's peaceful and beautiful. I enjoy reading this story from the perspective of a father watching his daughter gain her independence and using melodic metaphors to empower her existence. Personally, I love reading literature that compares nature's beauty to something we adore...our child. I believe this is why I connected to this story and I know other parents will too. This is a delightful read-aloud to share with your child for many nights.

What I love about Hide is that it takes an innocent children's game and elevates it into a wildly fun and scary thriller about a group of adults invited to play a seven-day game of Hide and Seek in an abandoned amusement park.

I love how masterfully the story unfolds, revealing enticing breadcrumbs along the way about what this strange game of Hide and Seek is truly about. But, even more than Hide's very inventive narrative, I love how the story serves as a clever metaphor for some ultra-relevant social issues. 

My five-year-old doesn’t get sick of this, no matter how many times I read it to her before bed. It is a funny story about an egg who goes on a hide-and-seek egg hunt to find his friends. It is filled with puns and laughter for people of all ages!

This is one of my favorite all-time picture books! Each page identifies one “type” of quiet accompanied by a whimsical illustration with delightful animal characters. Some of my favorites are “Hide-and-seek quiet,” which shows a baby moose trying unsuccessfully to hide behind an office chair; “Lollipop quiet,” which shows a bear and a rabbit with bandages comforting themselves with lollipops; or “Top of the roller coaster quiet,” which shows an assortment of animals anticipating that fateful moment! The words and illustrations are beautifully paired and children will want to invent their own stories about each scene. A sweet, evocative, and original book that expands the notion of quiet in imaginative ways.

Already a huge Lindsay Currie fan, I jumped at the chance to read It Found Us.

It lived up to my already sky-high expectations. The wonderfully spooky cover and title are matched by the story of amateur sleuth Hazel, her brother Den, and friend Maggie solving the mystery of a fellow student who disappeared while playing hide and seek in a graveyard.

Authentic and often humorous banter among the trio brings a welcome lightness to balance the excellent atmospheric creep factor. Currie excels at creating genuinely scary moments without resorting to gore or violence. She does creeping dread so well. Fans of high-quality middle grade fiction with a spooky bent will love this latest title from a truly gifted author.

If you really want to be scared, Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon is the book for you.

This story takes the hide and seek game and gives it a creepy twist. The book opens when Justin goes to see his friend Zee, who mysteriously disappeared a year earlier and is now back. But nothing is the same… Anyone who plays the game disappears, one by one, taken by the mysterious Seeker. This book had me sleeping with the light on.

If you have a kid reader who truly loves to be scared, Hide and Seeker is the perfect book.

This is a heartwarming story about a special friendship that developed between a little girl and the beautiful unicorn who came to visit her. They shared a wonderful day together playing hide-and-seek and enjoying a picnic lunch on a gorgeous summer day. My granddaughter’s love of unicorns along with the colours pink and purple make this book an excellent choice for her, I am sure plenty of children will love it too!  

This book shares the story of a magpie, “George,” that Frieda Hughes rescued.

George lived in both his human world and the wild world beyond. George liked to play games with his human “friends.” In one such game, he would fly down and bounce off a human’s head—endearing to some, petrifying to others. He would also play hide-and-seek with various items.

After months living between human and wild worlds, George disappeared, emotionally wrenching and life-changing for Hughes.

As a veteran preschool teacher, parent and grandparent, I have found this amazing rhythmic tale of hide and seek to skillfully convey to toddlers and preschoolers, the unconditional love a mother has for her child. Young children do understand and embrace this book’s age-appropriate loving, reassuring words and pictures: “If you run away, I will run after you. For you are my little bunny.” The lesson learned...They, too, can count on their steadfast mother to always have their back, no matter how they choose to test their relationship. This is a fabulous example of how a picture book can effectively communicate words and actions while serving to initiate more discussion with the child regarding his own behavior and feelings.

When bedtime arrives, where is Fred? A big, fluffy dog, he’s busying himself with everything else, except getting ready for bed. He runs through flower beds and mud, needs a bath, plays hide-and-seek, and finally ask for one more story. Mirroring behavior of any toddler avoiding bedtime, Fred finally gets ready for a good night sleep. Drawn loosely in ink and watercolor, Fred will run away with your heart as well.